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Top 5 Reasons We Can’t Wait for ShadowHunters

It’s an overstated statement, but here it is again: The young adult novel-movie adaptation part of media is over saturated with wins and failures. It seems like it was only yesterday that everyone was talking about Twilight this, Harry Potter that, and many of those fans clamored to The Fault in Our Stars and will be cheering (and crying) when they watch the last Hunger Games movie. In the midst of all these successes, there have been quite a few fails, and this includes the movie adaptation of the first book in The Mortal Instruments series City of Bones.

The book itself isn’t the best but it’s also not the worst, it is one of those series that once you’re invested, you’ll find yourself reading all the other books just…because. This should have spelled success for the series, especially since there is a huge readership that follows Cassandra Clare and the series. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a huge success and the movie sunk the hearts of its readers when it failed. It was assumed that the series was doomed. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. After Clare and others involved in the project went back to the drawing board, they made the decision that the series would be better as a television show and we couldn’t be happier. Here are five reasons why this is a good thing for the series.

Gives characters a chance to breathe a little more.

One of the big successes of the Mortal Instruments series can be found within its fandom of the book’s characters, which is also why the series has had quite a few spin offs of these characters in their own mini-series. Trying to put all of these characters into one movie, with only two or so hours to grow, really cut the charm of them. Things were brushed aside for the sake of time and the story was too focused on the main character Clary. Clary is fun but she’s not the sole reason why so many of us love the series.

The books read like episodic fantasy soap operas.

Part of the charm of the series comes from the focus of the minutia of what’s going on in the character’s personal lives while all the war elements and mysteries are happening. On one hand a couple is breaking up, another one is forming, and there’s always the problem of trying to “fit in” that pops up. Many of these characters are teenagers, and thus act like teenagers, so it would make sense that their antics would work better in a television series, reminiscent of other fantasy teen shows like Buffy and Teen Wolf.

More world building.

One of the interesting things about Mortal Instruments is that instead of trying to focus only on say werewolves or witches or even fairies and angels, Clare decided to mix it all up in an urban underground setting that is intricate. Many of these characters live amongst us and due to their grand nature, there is a lot of in and out conflicts. Vampires and werewolves don’t like each other of course, but what about werewolves and angels? Who is the leader of these different groups? What are their laws?

Let some of the pressure off.

What makes movies a tricky thing, as the series found out, is that if your first movie doesn’t succeed, then there’s a big chance that it’s not going to work the second time you try. It’s also tricky in that the creative minds involved have to pour all their money and time into it and pray for the best. Once that money is gone, it’s gone for good. Being on a smaller screen, however, the pressure for success is still there, but it’s less do or die. Usually a series will have a chance during their post-pilot moment to see if the viewers will warm up to them. Those who are skeptical won’t have to fork over money for an expensive ticket, and even if the pilot doesn’t get them, maybe episode two will.

Mortal Instruments is only getting bigger.

Did we mention that the series is big, with pre-stories, side stories, and spin offs? Because of its intricate nature, the world is only growing in complexity and this gives the television adaptation a big chance to explore some of the fascinating aspects of its world.

Shadowhunters, the title of the television adaption of The Mortal Instruments, is slated to start airing on January 12th, 2016 on ABC Family. Here’s hoping it’s better than the movie.